gocirclegogo | the joys of cat ownership

[A very terrible, almost warm feeling comes. That would be 'hope.' Erika thinks it's stupid and crushes it down fast. But he's being serious about this at least, enough to consider her question, even if the question itself was pointless. Maybe he'll listen? No, no, hope is the enemy. Just stick to logical certainty that she'll break him eventually.

Unless he says something stupid like he just did.]

...Yes, that's...not really a good amount, as I'm sure you've been told. [And he still doesn't realise it but well, even with his feelings she's not sure he would. Maybe if she's good about this, she can use it, though.] I swear not to use it against you but please answer another set of questions for me. Have your nightmares changed? Do they bother you as much as usual or have they been less of an issue?

[She's not a lot less miserable but it's a step up. Instead she's thinking and trying to peg down any evidence she can to show him - soon, she hopes - what's happened to him.]

As I've heard. It's a perspective thing. [And maybe it is, but it sounds more like a justification once the will to fight's been drained away. She's miserable enough to deserve answers. So he won't bother trying to argue it. The moment spent to answer that is back to that tired expression from before.

And the 'swear not to use it against you' gets a pointed stare. Mostly tired, slightly accusing, but an undercurrent of paranoid means her previous jab that ticked him off might've been accurate.] The first. Not as much. Due to sleeping less.

[That last sentence has just enough of an inflection to feel like a 'no shit Arthur' comment.]

[Erika is slowly finding a middle ground between 'miserable worried friend' and 'detective.' The former still means she still finds it hard to see him looking so tired but the latter catalogues the second look. Right. This is getting somewhere.

So he is feeling more paranoid? Which means accusations from everyone around him about his habits is making him turn further inwards and on the defensive. Defensive for angels means shutting down 'unnecessary' things like, say, feelings. But it's more than that and she knows it. ~~We must go deeper.~~

Willard has a history with emotions. Specifically, his amazing ability to be powered by a sudden passionate drive before going back to tired from the world. But he still had that passion. From Lion's stupid love trills, apparently that was a factor in their relationship somehow.

So. It's like that but he's so tired, the passion is turned off, too? Self-defense? Probably unconscious. Lion's been nagging him more lately but on the topic of sleep, not the big picture. It's all obvious but pointing it out makes him pull back further.

Well shit. At least she's got a lead. But it leads into a wall called 'Willard's emotional issues.' Ugh.

After this surprisingly quick thought process, she speaks.]

You didn't really say earlier how you and Lion are doing. I don't stalk you that much. How is she?

[The worst part would be if she found out she was on the right track, but for the completely wrong reasons. He's paranoid from the accusations, but not enough for that powerful of a retraction. She's stalked him for ages and he never cared. He'd just continue to do his usual actions with that indomitable arrogance most angels seem to uphold naturally. A larger move would be needed to get that kind of defensive wall.

Unfortunately, these are all thought trains only available to heart-readers, so both parties are blind as hell. Enjoy your private joke, Observers.

After her surprisingly quick thought process, into that kind of question, she earns a flat stare. Where to her the question has meaning, to him the question is stupid. Thus, he goes back to working.] She's been fine. Never thought you to be one interested in my love life.

[Erika sighs softly. Of course. He can't read hearts and she's never had a talent for it. This may as well be her test and it's going horribly. Why is the final boss her first mid-boss?!]

I'm not. [She really does just need to lay her cards out but at this point she pretty much has. The only things she's holding back are barely enough to count.] Willard, has Lion been more anxious lately? I know you've been busy but you keep close tabs on her.

[This move is twofold. One, it will give her a clearer picture on their relationship right now, which is telling itself. But two, Lion is a good meter for how his heart reading is doing. He's not perfect but assuming he's at least keeping normal levels with her, then Erika can use that as a base.

If not, then it's worse than she thought.]

[At the very least, the fact that she finally outed she was genuinely worried and he missed it had Will himself realize it was off. Not off enough to cease writing, but enough to appease Erika in her Detective-mode questioning. Until she does something to get him furious, but she's probably aware of that.]

...Maybe. She hasn't said anything about it. Dodges when I ask. That's all.

[And more nagging about his hours, but she only asked about her being anxious. That's what he answered. She's probably nervous over something unimportant again. Same as always.]

[Unless she gets frustrated, Erika has no plans on intentionally making him mad. Or if she runs out of ideas she might try it but she's saving that for later. For now...right, he hasn't noticed. Even Erika's noticed and she just spies when she's bored.]

You don't think it's important enough to pursue it. [Just a statement. If he wants to justify it or defend it, that's up to him, though even staying silent will be filed.

She continues after a beat.]

Has she been worried about you?

[There's a moment where, at any other time, there'd be his usual flare of energy over something completely nonsensical and go on neurotic tangents for hours. If Erika squints, there was even that dim spark of something going off in those gold eyes of Dlanor's.

But that's it. There's an exhale of irritation in place of a sigh. Not enough energy? Not worth it? Too tired? Too forgiving? Too uncaring? It could be anything and he doesn't even give off enough to pin that down.

At least it means she can continue uninterrupted?] Yes, but I've explained her off. I'd rather not find out anything if I can.

[She frowns. After a moment, she slumps in the chair and tips her head back. All she's really getting is more and more proof that Will is a well sucked dry, nothing really left.

Erika has her eyes closed, lost in thought. She speaks to the ceiling.]

...You should just tell her. She would forgive you, even if you don't forgive yourself. You probably won't be able to anyway, right? So you may as well.

[Her slumping does earn a momentary glance, but no further than that. Just like with Lion - not important enough to pursue it. Gets in the way of efficiency and such.

And he'd almost thought he was free of the questioning when she speaks again. Normally that kind of digging is too obvious, makes him back off too quickly, locked words then game over. He's too distracted with his work to chase her, but also to keep an eye on her moves too deeply. So, she earns a sigh.]

I should. But it's not the only reason I haven't told her.

[Erika doesn't lift her head but she does pause her thoughts. What other reasons? Oh, that's right.]

Because you don't want her involved period. She would be a target. [Though, are there other reasons? Hm.] I don't see why you don't just quit. You haven't worked on your goal in a while.

[Erika taps the folders in her lap.] This isn't it.

[He's still perfectly civil and doing his work when Erika may finally realize just how badly letting him go unchecked on this has been. Simply because of the flat, lifeless statement after her own.]

Oh. You mean with that brat you failed on? You're not the only one shoving responsibilities on me. For example, those files.

[Pulling punches was one of the things he did when he actually had enough life to care that it was hurtful to them. Alas.]

[For a moment she stops breathing. Did she hear that right? No, of course she did. Even though she herself thought that - when isn't she considering herself a failure deep down? - to hear Will say it so plainly...

The very worst part is that he doesn't care right now. So it's simply...what he believes. That she failed and shoved responsibilities onto him and he's right but it hurts more because he's saying it. He wouldn't gouge her like that. Even when they played, he didn't hurt her so directly and harshly. He was fired up then, too. Now he's just...stating a fact that doesn't matter.

The Detective quietly files this away for later evidence of his decline. It's a very good piece of evidence. Excellent.

Erika forces herself to stay steady as she rises and walks, putting the files away neatly.]

...'Good.' That's correct. I failed miserably in every aspect, as a friend and a piece. I begged for a second chance and that itself was one of the worst things I could have done. And here you are, another of my failures, suffering like an idiot because I gut everything. Ah, Lady Bernkastel at least made me capable of that much. How have I managed to not screw up Zelos yet...?

[She starts to laugh, leaning her head against the cabinet.] Yes! 'Very good!' I did ruin everything. I gutted it in a splendid and sickening fashion fitting for me. You can't put a puzzle back together if you tear it apart.

But I want to help, you know that, right? No, you don't. Please, allow me to take your responsibilities away from you, Willard. I want to fix it but since I can't, I can put myself to use for you the only way I know how!

[And right about then is when her scythe slashes apart every shelf. No more troubles, see?]

[The beginning part of her spiel is what makes him freeze, realizing a bit too late exactly what those words entailed. And looking up to follow her motions means it's also too late to retract it. So there's a sigh, letting her have her free floor of ranting before talking her down.

Said rant was actually concerning. Her saying it's her fault willingly and that she's a failure even though she only tries to help. Help with what? The overworking thing? She already was. Or was it something else?

This might've been the conversation had it just ended on her words. Instead, she becomes a beautiful and delicate maiden. And essentially goes Dorothy on his office.

Alright. So she'll be treated like Dorothy.

She's been slashed by him before, when it was still playing around, but even then it still hurt. This one is worse, with reality blacking out completely and the cut that goes through her isn't just physical, but through her illusion, deep down to a girl who's last action was throwing herself off a boat in misery and nothing more.

Her vision coming back means she's outside. The wall she obviously went through is destroyed. The ground she's sprawled on has a gash across it deep enough to pass as Dlanor's. She could probably hear the secretaries yelling to stop it, except Will talks over them as he walks over the rubble towards her.

Cracking his neck once while scratching his hair. Eyes more like Dlanor's than his. Erika, you have officially aggro'd a final boss.]

I was going to say you're better than that. That you're becoming a good person, whether you've noticed it or not, and you're not a failure inherently. Mikado is a lost cause. I'm only waiting for the day he does something stupid enough to let me kill him. ...And I did mean it when I said I'd let you go.

But if you believe you're so destructive, then it's too dangerous to allow that. That would be the proper logic for us furniture, wouldn't it?

[She gets a second to realize that yes, that means he's still pissed over Dlanor's treatment as a doll, or his own at being considered sub-existence by everything else. At least until there's another strike aimed for her neck.]

[The part of her that isn't focused on how much this hurts because jesus christ, Will, is extremely pleased. Finally. Finally, some emotions. Pissed off! That's good. Kind of. It would be better if not aimed at her. But he's showing his own anger and anger over his friend and that's good-

Shit, dodge.

Erika doesn't roll. She curls into a quick crouch and leaps back - ribs, some ribs are definitely not holding up - touching the ground once, lightly, to get back further. The smart thing would be to keep running. Instead, she grips her scythe and laughs, coughing. The only thing she has to do is keep out of striking distance and use her speed. If she can just get one hit, that's enough to save face.]

What kind of shitty logic is that?! Maybe from furniture like you but for a person like me, I know you're just mad I ruined your work! Boo hoo, it's so hard to be you, huh?

[She can get in character for this. Say words like that and grin even if it hurts. If bleeding is the only way to make Will feel something right now, then she'll pick at the wound as best as she can.]

[According to OMK, taunts are not a free action, and only hitting Erika during her speech gets a doppleganger. So she gets until her last 'huh', until she gets a crash course recollection on how fast Dlanor was in that fight in the fifth game against Battler's gold sword.

Unfortunately, Erika does not get a gold sword. So the SP2 is a direct hit. A similar strike as the first one, but across her neck. And nothing follows. Because his sword is held parallel to the ground, and Erika can recognize that feeling of reality starting to collapse. Oh God, Meta summon.

As it shatters is when she's spoken to again. Some horrible set of reds she's had thrown at her to deny her, or more insults calling her a failure and a waste of space, or damning her to the bottom of the sea with that black sword of is.]

That too! Don't think you can just destroy my office and get away with it!

[...Well. At least that Meta summon is more usual for him.]

[Well, good thing she wears a choker. It can nicely hide damages for now, minus the fabric being a little red but so what? Though, she hadn't really expected he would fall for her trick but it would have been a nice surprise.

Either way, she didn't expect the follow-up.

Erika knows she can use the meta if Will summons it. It would make her stronger and make him ridiculously stronger. Screw that. She can also use the meta to make him dismiss it, though.]

I'll destroy a lot more than your office, Willard! [And usually, that would just be an insult, but the shattering effect goes both ways. And she stays low to the ground as she runs in.

Tactic: Distract with meta reversal, don't use air combos, pray.]

[She can try it. She even gets the time to think she's in range, about to strike - when her scythe gets grabbed. Bare-handed. And using it to simply lift her clear overhead and slam her into the ground on the opposite side, hard enough to leave a crater.

Erika can take a single second to try and get her bearings before she's 236AB'd into the side of a building. All in time to feel the world shatter again at the re-expansion.]

Hah. And what does some washed-up corpse think she can do?!

[If Erika was much more of a delicate maiden, she'd be cursing. The wall helps hold her up, not that she has much choice in support. Just ignore the pain for now. She can move still, so she's fine, fine enough for sure to object again.]

If you want to know, I'll gladly show a used up old tool how it's done!

[Again, shattered. As she speaks, she moves. The point of her scythe digs into the ground and it looks like she'll use it for another run. Instead, she crouches against the wall and jumps off it. Another fake-out, imitating an air hit, only to land just short of Will's hit range and swing her scythe towards his chest.]

Show me from the bottom of the fragment sea, you piece of trash!

[Forced Meta Expansion and holy shit are those eyes scary. To Erika's success, her single strike hits in a satisfying splash of red across her blade and the pavement. Single hit on the final boss! Yay!

The horrible, horrible downside she'll realize a beat later is he took the hit on purpose. Taking a hit in exchange for a meta summon she can't deny. And more importantly - she's in hit range now. Her moment to dodge is immediately blacked out, and her existence is only fragments shattering, single strikes hurting like countless blades, and anyone who's seen the damage scaling on a 641236C>236AB>SP Cancel>641236C combo knows how it ends.

With the Meta contracting halfway through the second, Will landing like he's not even tired or pained, and Erika almost hitting the ground before she takes a direct hit of the first strike that got her.

At least skidding that far across the pavement means she's out of range again. For now.]

[Having seen Dlanor fight, she knows that sort of move. But Will's is a different class and, most important of all, against her. Cutting past her illusion, down to those cracked and battered cores, a sort of pain that goes beyond physical and seeps into that terrifying feeling from the darkest parts of the sea.

Deep gashes that only few people can see are left but the visible ones are still bad enough. Her dress is torn and tattered across with red seeping down in the revealed spots, staining over her skin. Internal damage, some ribs are going to need time, her arm feels too heavy, she's simply the picture of a lolita doll that was thrown into a wall. The red could be paint from how it looks. It even drips and smears with the tears down her face.

Coughing, taking hard, wheezing breaths, she still laughs. That sound is broken, too, and wet from blood in her throat. But she laughs as she pushes herself to her feet. The position looks awkward now but it's the same as her first move. If he attacks, her counter would be cruel.

She isn't luring him to attack, though, just buying time.]

Hey, Willard? I only played this part for you, okay? [Even her voice is scratchy, words dragged from her lips.] If it felt even a little good to do that to me, then accept my apology. You don't have to forgive me, though. I'm still a villain anyway.

[Leaning on her scythe, she cackles and throws it at him. It's just a distraction. She has speed on her side even in this state, leaping up the wall for escape.]

[Like the first time, he doesn't go after her when she enters her taunt stance. It's still a 50/50 shot on whether it's her attack or an actual taunt, but not worth the free hits to her.

And she'll know it's a good distraction. In her mind, she can feel her scythe getting caught by the blade again, shattered in his hand immediately after, but nothing else. But he at least allows her to escape.

So she can go home and nurse her wounds. And he'll return to his office, picking up papers and shooing his secretaries away and ignoring Garry's stares and questions, and trying to believe those choked words had no meaning.]

the joys of cat ownership

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